1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to performing maintenance in the interior of a pipeline or the like and more specifically to a method for real time display of maintenance device location in an internal space.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
There are numerous maintenance devices, such as jetting nozzles, root cutters, deflection sensors, and video cameras which are used to perform maintenance in the interior of pipelines, building duct work, conduits, or the like. The location of the maintenance device is always of interest to the operator. Software packages which produce a static model of a pipeline after the pipeline is inspected are well known in the art. The static model software package typically include a database system, video capture, distance tracking, and reporting capabilities. The hardware required to view a pipeline include a video camera, a camera transportation device, and a distance counter.
The software package will take the information gathered from the pipeline inspection and produce a static model of the pipeline. The static pipeline model includes distance measurements which are placed adjacent to the sides of the static pipeline model. The distance measurements correspond to different observations in the pipeline such as cracks, roots, infiltration, laterals, or any other important observation.
With the prior art software packages, the operator cannot instantly travel to another position without carefully watching the video to insure they are in the correct position in the pipeline. Further, a video camera may be damaged if the operator does not stop the camera transportation device, before returning to a starting manhole opening. It appears that no method exists for monitoring the real time location of a video camera, or other maintenance device in a pipeline or the like.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a method for real time display of maintenance device location in an internal space which enables the viewing of the location of the maintenance device in an internal space, the distance the maintenance device has traveled, a display of the length of pipeline traveled, and distance measurements of important observations in the internal space.